1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device to harvest sod pieces which are formed into rolls and thereafter stacked for storage and further transportation to an application area.
2. History of the Related Art
When harvesting lawn sod rolls, here below called sod rolls, machines are used comprising cutting and pick-up devices which cut and pick up pieces of a lawn, transportation devices which form the sod rolls out of these pieces and transport these to stacking devices which assemble and stack the sod rolls in a storage area. To achieve a steady stacking of the sod rolls which will not fall down, the rolls in each layer must be turned about a quarter of a turn or 90.degree. relative to the rolls of adjacent layers, i.e. the above and the beneath layers.
Previously, sod roll harvesting machines were used where the driver was sitting on top of the pick-up unit and a collaborator was placed at the transport and stacking device taking care of the rolls and stacking these in the previously discussed manner.
To facilitate the roll stacking operation and to achieve a machine to possibly be operated by only one operator, it is already known, from Swedish Patent 9002919-0, to stack the rolls in a closed storage area to be turned 90.degree. for each layer or bed with rolls to be stacked in a transverse direction with respect to the adjacent layers, i.e. the above and beneath layers. In this way, one operator can operate the machine and simultaneously survey the roll transportation to a storage area and the stacking of the rolls therein. During the deposition of a complete stack of rolls, one side of the storage area is opened and the stack, normally deposited on a pallet, is placed on the ground and afterwards, the upper roll layer is fixed by means of a loose frame with hooks. After that, the upper stack part is covered with plastic and the frame removed and the roll stack is ready for storage or for transportation.